Date of Birth:  October 18, 1983
	Place of Birth: Banff, AB
	Residence: Banff, AB
Years on National Team:  2	Height:  N/A
	Weight: N/A

As a kid growing up in scenic Banff, AB, it comes as no surprise that Philip Widmer began his skiing career as a downhiller. However, as a teenager, it was after experimenting with the Nordic combined that he realized how much he actually enjoyed cross-country skiing.

By 2002, Widmer began making noise after placing second in the 1 km sprint at the nationals. In 2003, he would place second in the sprint at the Canada Winter Games and later that year would get tongues wagging with three Top-25 finishes at the U-23 World Championships. Since then, it's been uphill all the way for Widmer. During the 2004-05 season, he would nail a pair of first-place finishes on the Nor-Am Cup circuit before ending the season with an 11th place finish in an FIS sprint in Switzerland.

Early in the 2005-06 season, Widmer captured two more Nor-Am Cup gold medals and, even more impressively, finished fourth in a World Cup qualifier last December in Vernon, BC. He would end up 26th in the official race, which, at the time, was his career-best finish in a World Cup event.

In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing, Widmer also enjoys mountain biking and rock climbing, and as a native of one the world's most breathtakingly beautiful regions, it's not hard to figure out why Widmer may pursue a future career in environmental law.

Turin will be a great learning experience for Widmer as he looks to be among the world's best in four years when the Olympics come to Vancouver.





2006 Xcountryskiing Coverage